“Global demand for energy is not going away. As standards of living rise, energy demand is expected to surge by 28 percent by 2040, with fossil fuels meeting 77 percent of global energy demand. Offshore energy can be a driver of safe, affordable and reliable energy for the U.S. and the world. Other countries – including Canada, Mexico, Norway, Brazil, Russia and China – are sailing ahead with their own offshore development plans to meet growing energy demand, while the U.S. sits on the sidelines with 94% of our OCS off-limits to exploration and development. For the U.S. to remain competitive and become energy dominant we need policies that increase offshore access and provide regulatory and legislative certainty for energy producers.

“NOIA is pleased that the bill includes provisions from last month’s discussion draft that expands revenue sharing, prevents unilateral executive withdrawals of offshore areas, gives more flexibility to the Secretary of the Interior in developing lease sales, and discards the outdated Arctic drilling rule. Each one of these provisions is critical to a robust offshore energy industry.

“Additionally, the introduction of new language in the bill continues the theme of making America energy dominant. The bill provides real reforms to reduce delays in the issuance of permits to conduct seismic surveys that will safely ensure Americans have access to accurate information regarding their offshore resources. The bill also introduces a firm commitment to regularly scheduled offshore wind lease sales and expands the OCSLA to U.S. territories, ensuring that every American citizen has access to the benefits of offshore energy development, both traditional and non-traditional. Finally, the new inspection fee collection language in the bill will help ensure that the fee schedule appropriately reflects the true cost of conducting inspections and ensures the funding goes to addressing inspections of OCS facilities.

“Individually, each one of these provisions would significantly strengthen U.S. energy production. Together, they could cement American energy leadership for the foreseeable future. Congress and the administration are in the unique position to create a generational onshore and offshore energy policy that could provide certainty to both the energy industry and the conservation community. NOIA looks forward to working with the Committee, the rest of Congress and the administration to see this bill become law.”

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ABOUT NOIA

NOIA is the only national trade association representing all segments of the offshore industry with an interest in the exploration and production of both traditional and renewable energy resources on the nation’s outer continental shelf. NOIA’s mission is to secure reliable access and a fair regulatory and economic environment for the companies that develop the nation’s valuable offshore energy resources in an environmentally responsible manner. The NOIA membership comprises approximately 250 companies engaged in business activities ranging from producing to drilling, engineering to marine and air transport, offshore construction to equipment manufacture and supply, telecommunications to finance and insurance, and renewable energy.